Having just participated in the annual Roots & Wings 5K run and still in their running attire, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. financial representatives take a sneak peek inside the company's new building.
Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Roots & Wings 5K run participants and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. financial representatives, including April Wallace (center) of Pruett Financial in Nashville, Tenn., use their phones to photograph the interior of the new atrium.
Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Grand Hall is a space that can be divided into as many as three separate rooms with sky-fold doors. When set up with eight-person round tables, it accommodates 450 people. When set up for assembly seating, it can accommodate up to 700 people.
Michael Sears / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Many financial representatives for Northwestern Mutual will get their first look inside the company's new Tower and Commons project when they gather in Milwaukee this weekend.(Photo: Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)Buy Photo

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. financial representatives who have been returning to Milwaukee for decades to attend their annual meeting will have something new on the agenda this year — a first peek inside the company's state-of-the-art new building.

On Sunday, the company will be conducting tours of a lower level of the 32-story skyscraper for financial reps, their staff and family members who are in town for the five-day event, which starts Saturday but hits high gear on Monday.

More than 10,000 people will be in the city for the meeting. The annual gathering is expected to have an estimated local economic impact $12.9 million, according to Visit Milwaukee.

"We believe in Milwaukee and are proud to call it our home," John Schlifske, chairman and chief executive of Northwestern Mutual, said Friday in a statement. "As we celebrate 160 years of delivering financial security to our clients, we are strong, vibrant and growing. Our new work space will help attract top talent and drive innovation for our clients and for Milwaukee."

Employees of Northwestern Mutual's home office are expected to begin moving into the $450 million Tower and Commons building about a month from now.

The Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, at 745 N. Prospect Ave., is the second-highest skyscraper in Wisconsin, behind only the nearby U.S. Bank Center. The Commons section, which will be open to the public, is three stories tall and two blocks long.

The project contains 1.1 million square feet of space, making it the largest volume of space under one roof in Wisconsin.

One theme that runs through the interior plan of the building is flexibility. In the upper floors of the building, almost everything — including many walls — will be on wheels and could easily be moved or reconfigured to the needs of each department.

The tours on Sunday will focus on the atrium and Commons at the base of the skyscraper. Visitors will see how an atrium connects Northwestern Mutual's landmark office from 1914 to The Commons area of the new structure. It's meant to symbolize the connection between the insurer's past and its future. Employees can use the atrium, but it won't be open to the public.

The Commons, which includes a Starbucks cafe, has abundant natural light. It can accommodate an assembly of up to 700 people.

The Mason Street Lobby of The Commons is three stories high, with marble floors and walls and walnut paneling that is used throughout The Commons. A staircase in the lobby encourages people to take stairs instead of the escalator, which the company says is consistent with its focus on health and wellness.

Northwestern Mutual's annual meeting of financial representatives brings together agents and families from around the country in the company's hometown for ongoing education, networking, entertainment and an opportunity to hear from top executives.

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Many financial representatives for Northwestern Mutual will get their first look inside the company's new Tower and Commons project when they gather in Milwaukee this weekend.
Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel